Tonight I had the strong urge to write a blog post about saying goodbye in youth ministry. It hit me because we’re going through it again – first Robby (leaving HSM to be a lead campus pastor for a regional Saddleback) and now Becka (leaving HSM at the end of a fantastic 2-year internship). I wanted to post to be about how saying goodbye is just part of the gig we’re called to, that we have team members, volunteers and graduating seniors that eventually leave our life and we have to be OK with that.
Then I did a quick search of the blog and realized that I already wrote that exact post just 2 months ago (Saying Goodbye is Part of Youth Ministry). So tonight, in my sorry of saying goodbye again, I wanted to focus on how saying “hello” is part of youth ministry, too:
Hello to incoming freshman This is the time of year when freshman are coming into your high school ministry for the very first time. As your students go back to school and rubbing shoulders with their friends, expect some new faces to show up. Make it a point to seek out new freshman and be particularly welcoming them into your community.
Hello to great volunteers The beginning of the school year is when new volunteers, particularly small group leaders, typically enter the ministry. Take the time to make them feel welcomed, trained and encouraged as they begin their time serving students. Your relational investments and the community you build could help keep them around for years.
Hello to great members of the staff As hard as it is for us to say goodbye to great team members – even staff – it gives us a chance to see God putting the pieces together for what is next.
Every goodbye is a chance for a new hello. As you mourn the loss of a great senior class just a few months ago, pour into the new freshman. As you think about that long-time volunteer who finally steps away, remember the new team forming for the next season. And when you have to say goodbye to a great pastor on staff, remember God is about to introduce you to who He has next.
JG
1 September 2010
posted by Scott Rubin
Some of your churches are like mine, and you encourage some of your volunteers to ?take a breath? during the summer months. We push the pause button on our small groups in June & July so that our faithful volunteers can vacation, rest, and be ready to jump back into investing in junior highers once the school year begins. Honestly, our ministry is less effective during those months, and I miss those volunteers like crazy, but for us it?s the best choice in the long run. (and, it probably explains why so many of our volunteers have stuck around for years & years!)
So last week, I was anticipating the ?re-arrival? of our school year volunteers. I said to our staff team, ?Who?s one person that you?re really really looking forward to serving alongside of this year?? It was fun to hear people?s answers? and look forward to this fun we?re going to have together this year, as we point middle schoolers towards Jesus.
Later that day, I decided to take 4 minutes & jot a note to one of those volunteers? and tell them how much they?re valued around here ? and why. It?s a habit I?m trying to ?re-create? ? because honestly, I?ve gotten a little sloppy with it! (Which is crazy, because when I get an encouragement note, sometimes I?ll carry it around with me for a few days!) Thoughtful words are really meaningful to me — and in about 4 minutes, I can put some fuel in someone?s tank just by jotting them a snail-mail note. In a mailbox full of credit card offers and cable-tv-advertisements, a card from you would be a welcome site!
This may make the live bloggers a little miffed, but apple announced they will live stream their event tomorrow. I love that they made this move.
From their site: Apple will broadcast its September 1 event online using Apple?s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming, which is based on open standards. Viewing requires either a Mac running Safari on Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard, an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 3.0 or higher, or an iPad?. The live broadcast will begin at 10:00 a.m. PDT on September 1, 2010 at www.apple.com.
I’ll be sure to log in, how about you?
UPDATE: Here the link for the live stream: http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1009qpeijrfn/event. Here are the system requirements: Safari 4 or 5 on Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Safari on iOS 3 or later. Sorry PC friends.
Well, College Ministry From Scratch has finally released. Actually, it released a few days ago…I just forgot! If you’d like to read a sample (the brief introduction as well as the first chapter) click here.
Below is the table of contents. I hope it’s a help to you and your ministry!
INTRODUCTION
SECTION ONE: Chapter One: A Story of Perceived Success Chapter Two: Creating And Measuring A Sustainable Ministry Chapter Three: Developing A Job Description (that fits our goals) Chapter Four: Your First 90 Days In College Ministry Chapter Five: Understanding College-Age Issues?An Overview Chapter Six: Providing A Place To Belong
SECTION TWO: Chapter Seven: Recruiting Older Adults?Overcoming Obstacles Chapter Eight: Recruiting Older Adults?Characteristics To Look For Chapter Nine: Leading College-Age Leaders Chapter Ten: One-On-One Conversations?Questions To Ask Chapter Eleven: Starting And Sustaining Effective Small Groups Chapter Twelve: Shifts In Teaching Approaches Chapter Thirteen: Seven Critical Teaching Topics Chapter Fourteen: Mission Trips?What To Include And Why Chapter Fifteen: College-Age Retreats Chapter Sixteen: Working With Interns Chapter Seventeen: Church-Based Campus Ministry Chapter Eighteen: When Students Are Away At School
Who you select as volunteer adult leaders for your next mission trip will have the single biggest impact on your trip. The adults on the trip will set the tone for the students. If they are upbeat and positive and having a great time serving, so will the students. If the adults are grumbling and having a bad attitude and unhappy with the lodging, the students will reflect that attitude. So how do you choose the right adults for the trip?
Here’s a couple ideas that we know work from hundreds of great youth leaders across the country.
Ur YM has kicked off for the fall or is about to. How’s ur voluntold team looking?
Mark DeVries in his epic book, Sustainable Youth Ministry, says u should have 1 adult volunteer (engaged and relational I would add) for every 5 of ur youth. How’s that going for you?
Some of u are doing great. Skip the rest of this blog then and go back to chatting on FB.
For the rest of you: having trouble getting enough good volunteers?
Three reasons why: 1) Have you asked the right people?
2) Have you given them a specific job description with clear cut expectations, boundaries, plans and purpose?
3) Are you spending more time with ur teens than w ur volunteers?
Let any one of these three facts go awry and that’s a place to start figuring out why ur begging and pleading for help. Why ur pulling out hairs u can’t spare from ur head. Why uve even resorted to asking the SP if he would like to help “chaperon” the MS lock-in. Ur are one desperate YP if it comes to that!
Stephanie
PS-u can always tell when i’m posting from my phone. grammer, spelling and abbreviations don’t seem to matter to me.
This isn’t profound by any means, but I know some of you follow this site through Twitter and a few months ago my account was hacked. Its fixed now, and along with it I personally figured out how to twitter. I am soo lame! So if you want to follow me on twitter, you can 
themaguires. (if you want, no pressure)
Amanda
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I’m following you already–knew something was going on–now you’re really tweeting. My handle is jsheets in case you’re wondering who tweeted you earlier about your wearing the belt comment.